Iceland may ban MasterCard, Visa over WikiLeaks censorship

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Credit card companies that prevented card-holders from donating money to the secrets outlet WikiLeaks could have their operating licenses taken away in Iceland, according to members of the Icelandic Parliamentary General Committee.

Representatives from Mastercard and Visa were called before the committee Sunday to discuss their refusal to process donations to the website, reports Reykjavik Grapevine.

"People wanted to know on what legal grounds the ban was taken, but no one could answer it," Robert Marshall, the chairman of the committee, said. "They said this decision was taken by foreign sources."

Does anyone else feel like writing thank you letters to the Icelandic Parliament for being the emblem of transparency and democracy?

For violating their contract in Iceland Visa and Mastercard will likely face legal punishments if not a full ban from that country. Stopping people from exercising their freedom to donate money to whatever causes they choose because those corporations want to play politics had landed them in the legal hot seat in Iceland.

"I can use Visa and Mastercard to pay for porn and support anti-abortion fanatics, Prop 8 homophobic bigots, and the Ku Klux Klan," Jeff Javis noted at The Huffington Post. "But I can't use them or PayPal to support Wikileaks, transparency, the First Amendment, and true government reform. Just saying."

These corporations are definitely doing the bidding of the United States government, playing global politics by restricting people’s freedoms on what they can and cannot do with their own money? That is absolutely ridiculous.

I hope that they are viciously attacked by Iceland and severely punished for what they are doing. No more violating their contracts with the people who actually have accounts with these scumbag corporations.

I guess now if we want freedom, justice, and transparency we have to go to Iceland.

I think it is fair enough, and just wish more countries would follow suit, im not sure atm, but in the past Denmark has always been 100% supportive of free press issues, such as the Muhammed drawings, so yeah i hope Denmark joins the fight

reply to post by Misoir


Go Iceland...
Pity it wasn't Australia first..
Many here support Julian but our Government is too busy butt sniffing the US to care what we think..::

reply to post by Misoir


Admire their sentiment but they won't do that. The effects on their economy would be disastrous.

reply to post by backinblack

Gillard hates Assange and said that what he's doing is illegal.
Kevin Rudd and every other politican supports Assange (in the sense that he's an Australian and needs our support) and said he needs our help.

Confusing.

reply to post by Nventual


That is probably because Gillard is an American, she was born here.

I had no idea Australia would let a foreigner become their Prime Minister.

reply to post by Misoir


Gillard was actually born in the UK. Place of birth wasn't an issue in the election because, well, it just isn't an issue. Not sure why it is such a problem in USA.

Originally posted by Nventual
reply to post by Misoir

 

Gillard was actually born in the UK. Place of birth wasn't an issue in the election because, well, it just isn't an issue. Not sure why it is such a problem in USA.

edit on 15/12/10 by Nventual because: (no reason given)

I have no idea why I thought she was born here in the states, I thought I read that before I was obviously wrong.

Well it is a problem for Obama because Conservatives do not like him but in general with all politics aside we believe only Americans born and raised here can represent Americans the best and have no other loyalties.

reply to post by Misoir


Well, like Obama, Gillard has been here most her life so she understands Australia just as much as anyone else.
Who she wishes to work for and help is another story.

reply to post by Misoir


That's what I like to see, countries getting involved in standing up for people, even if the person in this case isn't a citizen.

These companies are trying to stop the flow of money to a person who has not been tried in any court yet, and therefore is not guilty of any wrong doing; and even if he is later found out to be guilty, its not up to them to stop his flow of money.

Originally posted by phatpackage
reply to post by Misoir

 

Admire their sentiment but they won't do that. The effects on their economy would be disastrous.

So true. Iceland is virtually giving away airfare just to get tourists to come and prop-up their economy. Fifteen percent of the foreign passenger traffic through Keflavik originates from the US and Canada. It's hard to imagine how the last industry that tiny country is hobbling along on - tourism - is going to be helped if you cut off the primary transaction method (Visa and MasterCard) of all the American and Canadian tourists (plus a sizable percentage of Europeans).

I, also, admire the sentiment, though.

Originally posted by Misoir
reply to post by Nventual

 

That is probably because Gillard is an American, she was born here.

I had no idea Australia would let a foreigner become their Prime Minister.

Gillard was actually born in Wales UK & immigrated to Australia for medical reasons at about age 5. BTW
I'm not a Gillard fan!

Go Iceland!! I wish I had the money to go there and support them.

Personally I wish them luck.. I have found the whole situation disgusting and the actions of the American Administration more harmful towards the American Administration than the leaks, it really feels they have shot themselves in the foot on this one.

The notion that an American Administration not only could pressure Paypal, Visa and Mastercard to cut off funding to anyone, any business or any charity they decide for any reason, but the fact that it does was a huge revelation.

And from the comments I have heard from friends, family and colleagues that is probably the part that I would say has been more harmful to the American Governments image abroad.